Acura/Honda NSX Question

[Brad R.]

Quick question for the GT40 forum family. In your opinion, what is the best car that does well in both the track and behaves in the street?

After driving a buddy's NSX I literally feel the need to make it my next car. His had the comptech blower so it put down 100 more ponies than stock and felt quite capable. I'm sure you guys have raced them so how do they perform on the track? On the street they are remarkably comfortable; less like an extreme sports car and more like a luxury coupe.

I'm not really looking into Miata's haha... or Corvettes either.

Are there better cars that suit both uses than the NSX from an OEM? What about options like the Ultima GTR and etc...?

 

[Ron Earp]

I doubt many folks have raced them given their low production numbers and relatively high cost for a production car. I drove one many, many years ago when cross-shopping a mid-engined cars and while it was extremely competent I felt the car was just not exciting. Too much Honda DNA, which is a good thing if you're a Honda fan. The car/chassis was great, the engine was just average in my opinion but it was a stock one.

Been a long time since the NSX was new and a lot has changed and developed on cars that compete with it....

 

[Brad R.]

Been a long time since the NSX was new and a lot has changed and developed on cars that compete with it....

That's really good to keep in mind--you're right.

 

[John Milmont]

There was a guy who use to autocross one around here, was a great handling car.

I always liked the car, but thought it was expensive for what you got. Only the last years of the car had 300hp, and before then it was only 275 or so. (and thats the old SAE HP rating, so its probably more like 250).

From the little I know about the car, if you are going to take it onto an open road course, the brakes are not up to the task. They seem like reliable cars, but wow, part prices are have to be in the exotic car territory so you better hope nothing goes wrong.

 

[Mesa]

I had one for ten years, really easy to live with high end sports car. Small brakes, moderate horsepower, great handling and rear tires that lasted 10K at best. Supercar? No. Can they be made faster? Yes. Bigger brakes and more HP really liven them up, if I'd had kept mine a SC or Turbo setup would have been in it's future. You would have to do the math on value/performance/budget vs other cars. Seems like it would be expensive to make a NSX really fast on track vs other current options, but I don't know for sure.

I don't like all the modern driver aids so a simple low electronics car like the NSX suited me just fine. Must be hooked on aluminum I guess as I replaced it with two aluminum cars LOL.

 

[Doug S.]

Are there better cars that suit both uses than the NSX from an OEM? What about options like the Ultima GTR and etc...?

Have you considered the offerings from Lotus. Great looking cars, well balanced because they are mid-engine designs, not mega HP but very light. They seem to enjoy great reputations and while they may be a bit pricey they are not in the same range as the NSX.

The Ultimate is not an OEM offering, AFAIK...although it probably is available as a turnkey, but so are offerings from many of the manufacturers who participate on our forum.

Cheers!!

Doug

 

[Kevin L]

Take a look here, one of my favorite NSX sites:

NSX-Files Homepage (frameset)


Otherwise NSXPrime.com is a great source

 

[Brad R.]

...if I'd had kept mine a SC or Turbo setup would have been in it's future. You would have to do the math on value/performance/budget vs other cars. Seems like it would be expensive to make a NSX really fast on track vs other current options, but I don't know for sure.

Hate to ask, but do you wish you had kept it? What did you upgrade up to? I assume the SL-C did not come until later haha

Have you considered the offerings from Lotus. Great looking cars, well balanced because they are mid-engine designs, not mega HP but very light. They seem to enjoy great reputations and while they may be a bit pricey they are not in the same range as the NSX.

The Ultimate is not an OEM offering, AFAIK...although it probably is available as a turnkey, but so are offerings from many of the manufacturers who participate on our forum.

Cheers!!

Doug

Yes, the Exige has also been on my radar...

Indeed the Ultima GTR is not OEM... but I was looking at other 'boutique' track cars as well.

 

[Mesa]

I sold the NSX in order to justify (to myself) buying the SLC. The car I "replaced" the NSX with is an Audi S8, the S8 is a fantastic car, just not a sports car. Kind of split one car into two at the opposite extremes in a way.

 

[Brad R.]

I sold the NSX in order to justify (to myself) buying the SLC. The car I "replaced" the NSX with is an Audi S8, the S8 is a fantastic car, just not a sports car. Kind of split one car into two at the opposite extremes in a way.

Both great choices... even better together!

...I felt the car was just not exciting. Too much Honda DNA...

Been a long time since the NSX was new and a lot has changed and developed on cars that compete with it....

When the new NSX comes out it'll make this current gen a relic. Unlike a Ferrari though I have a hunch the NSX will not age into a 'classic' because of that Honda DNA. Another point of reluctance for me.

 

[Jeff Young]

I had an N/A Exige. Meh. I liked the handling and steering, the power was peaky and on track it was deficient.

I also drove an NSX back when I bought an Esprit Turbo and really liked the Esprit better. Yeah, not as reliable but mor echaracter. In fact, of the three cars I drove at the time, well four really, a 928, an Esprit, a 328 and the NSX, I'd put the NSX last. You FELT like you were sitting in an Accord.

 

[Brad R.]

I had an N/A Exige. Meh. I liked the handling and steering, the power was peaky and on track it was deficient.

I also drove an NSX back when I bought an Esprit Turbo and really liked the Esprit better. Yeah, not as reliable but mor echaracter. In fact, of the three cars I drove at the time, well four really, a 928, an Esprit, a 328 and the NSX, I'd put the NSX last. You FELT like you were sitting in an Accord.

That's a great point... in the long run the NSX will not have the timeless visage as its' contemporaries. Maybe I should gear my decision to not getting a double purposed car, but rather get a nicer SUV and then a trailer to house an RCR LMP2? Keeping the track toy separate might be the better and safer option.